Have any idea how much having an in-house IT team cost? According to Salary.com, the average annual salary of an IT Generalist is $70,957. And that’s just one employee.
There are also hiring and training costs, benefits, and other hidden costs with having an in-house team.
So, the total cost to your business can easily be in the six digits per year.
With this level of investment, the more reasonable option usually is break-fix services – when there’s a problem, call an IT specialist. But there are a lot of problems with this solution:
- You’re probably not an IT expert, so you may not even know there’s something to fix.
- Costs to repair the problem can easily run up to thousands of dollars.
- You’re not able to detect problems before they get worse.
- You can’t rely on your trusted IT experts to always be available when you need them.
And, the longer it takes to repair the problem, the longer your business operations can be interrupted.
That’s why smart business owners use Managed Services to ensure that the tech side of the business is always taken care of.
What Are Managed Services?
Managed services are outsourcing your system maintenance and repair needs to experts. Instead of having an in-house team, you get a managed services provider (MSP) to do everything for you.
Here’s how it works:
- All potential or existing issues within the managed network will trigger a real-time alert that would be sent to your managed services provider.
- Your managed services provider will address the issues.
And because your MSP will address all issues before they become bigger problems, you can focus on generating sales and growing your business.
What Are The Service Components Of Managed Services?
Not all managed services plans will be the same. But usually, you’ll see these three service components:
- Network Monitoring and Management
This is what managed services are all about. Through this component, your service provider can see the system and detect issues in real-time.
- Security
Sadly, antivirus software and firewalls don’t do the trick anymore. That’s why managed services come with comprehensive security plans to keep your data safe.
- Helpdesk Support
There is an inclusion you’ll see in most contracts. So when your users experience an issue, they’d be able to reach a team of experts who can assist them.
What Are The Benefits Of Managed Services?
It’s affordable, even to small businesses
Most of the time, small business owners keep their IT team understaffed or can’t afford an in-house team at all. If you want to keep costs low AND get better service quality, managed services are the obvious solution.
It’s easily scalable
Don’t want to get stuck with the manpower you don’t need anymore? You can easily scale managed services up or down with absolutely no consequence to your business.
Only pay for the services you need
What’s great about managed services is it’s highly customizable. You’ll never be forced to pay for the services your business doesn’t need.
Minimize downtime
Maximize income by minimizing system downtime. When there’s a remote team managing your system, potential issues are detected before they cause serious problems.
Managed Services are the smart, low-cost solution to getting expert help in maintaining your systems without having to pay for the in-house cost.
Want to find out which managed services components would work best for your business? Schedule a free consultation with one of our CTS consultants and we’ll create a managed services solution that’s right for you.